Apparatus for connecting wires



May 5, 1936. E. w. COOPER APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING WIRES Filed Dec. 6, 1954 INVENTORv ELL/s M COOPER A TTORNE Y.

Patented 5, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR CONNECTING WIRES Application December 6, 1934, Serial No. 756,208 10 Claims. (Cl. 140-113) 10 sleeves are compressed and forced into intimate,

gripping contact with the adjacent portions of the bodies to be connected so as to securely connect said bodies together, the predominant object of the invention being to provide a device 15 of this character which is simple and economical of manufacture, convenient to use, and efficient in operation.

The present invention relates to improvements in sleeve connector tools of the roller compression 9 type as distinguished from devices intended for a similar purpose which operate by drawing a sleeve embracing bodies to be connected through constricting or drawing die elements. Also, the roller compression means of the improved device dis-- a closed herein distinguishes said improved device from devices intended fora similar purpose in the operation of which the sleeves are crimped or otherwise deformed at spaced intervals extended longitudinally of the sleeves.

30 Fig. 1 is a side elevation of atool constructed in accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of a.portion of the improved tool; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a 35 fragmentary vertical section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, parts thereof being shown in elevation.

In the drawing, wherein is shown for the purpose of illustration, merely, one embodiment of p the invention, A designates the improved tool 40 generally. The tool A includes a pair of handle elements I and 2-, said handle elements being provided with suitable grips I and 2' at their outer ends. At the end of the handle element l opposite to the end thereof at which the grip I is 45 located, said handle element is provided with an offset portion 3 through which a circular opening 4 is formed. The extreme outer end portion of the offset portion 3 is more or less circular in shape, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4, the mar- 50 8 9.1 edge face 3' of said oflset portion being formed substantially concentric with the wall of the opening 4. The handle element 2 is provided 1 with a portion 5 which also is more or less circular in shape and is located adjacent to the circular 55 Portion of he offset portion 3 of the handle element I, the portion 5 of the handle element 2 being provided with a marginal edge face 5' and said portion 5 having an opening 6 formed therethrough, the wall of which is substantially concentric with the marginal edge face 5'. 5 Formed at the marginal edge faces 3' and 5' of the portions 3 and 5 of the handle elements i and 2 are groups of gear teeth I and 8. The gear teeth I and 8 of the portions Sand 5 are arranged in mesh as shown in Fig. 4, and as a 10 consequence thereof uniformity of movement is maintained when the handle elements I and 2 are subjected to movement in the manner and for the purpose to be hereinafter set forth. The portion 5 of the handle element 2 is provided with a stop element 9 against which the handle element I abuts when the handle elements reach the inward limit of their movement. Movement of the handle elements is arrested at the outward limit of such movement by the untoothed por- 2o tions ID of the marginal edge faces 3 and 5' of the portions 3 and 5 of said handle elements coming into contact with each other.

Extended transversely of the head portion of the tool A is a pair of shafts II and II, the shaft ll being extended through the opening 4 formed through the portion 3 of the handle element I, and the shaft it being extended through the opening 6 formed through the portion 5 of the handle element 2. The shafts II and ii are mounted for rotary movement in openings formed through a pair of arms l3 and I4 which are located at opposite sides of, and in contact withopposed side faces of the portions 3 and 5 p of the handle elements I and 2.

Mounted on the shaft H at opposite ends thereof are pressure rollers i5 and i6 and mountea on the" shaft I! at opposite ends"thereof arepressure rollers l1 and Ill. The pressure rollers l1 and i8 are fixed to the shaft I! by means of keys or otherwise so that the pressure rollers rotate with the shaft. Also end plates l9, which are in the form of disks and are secured to the shaft by bolts 20 so as to overlap the pressure rollers l1 and i8, prevent movement of said pressure rollers longitudinally of the shaft l2 inasmuch as said pressure rollers are interposed between and are in contact with the arms l3 and i4 and the end plates l9. As will be noted by referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the shaft ii is slightly longer than the shaft l2 and the pressure rollers I5 and iii are mounted on said shaft Ii so as to be capable of slight movement longitudinally thereof. This is accomplished by employing elongated key which causethe pressure rollers I5 and I6 to be non-rotatably mounted on the shaft II but permit movement of said pressure rollers longitudinally of the shaft. Movement of the pressure rollers I5 and I8 longitudinally of the shaft I I is limited in the inward direction by the pressure rollers contacting with the arms I3 and I4 and in the outward direction by the end plates 22 which are secured to the shaft II by bolts 23 and overlap the pressure rollers I5 and' I 8.

Extended outwardly from the arms I8 and I 4 is a pair of guiding devices 24, each of which, as shown most clearly in Fig. 2, is of substantially U-shaped formation. The guiding devices 24 are closed at their inner ends and are open at their outer ends, the inner wall of each guiding element and the spaced apart walls which extend outwardly from said inner wall providing a guideway through which elongated bodies being operated upon with the aid of the device pass. Because the outwardly extended walls of the U- shaped guiding devices are disposed above and 3 below elongated bodies passing through said guiding devices, curling of the elongated bodies as they leave the pressure rollers is prevented. The guiding devices are provided with removable liners, or shims 25, secured in place by means of screws 28. By means of the shims 25 the guideways may be dimensioned to suit the particular size of elongate body or sleeve being operated upon.

In order to impart rotary movement to the shafts II and I2 I employ clutch mechanisms 21 and 28 (Fig. 4), the clutch mechanism 21 be- I each of the shafts II and I2 being provided with a plurality of pairs of angularly disposed faces 29 and 30 and rollers 3| being arranged in spaces 32 between the faces 29 of the shafts and the walls of the openings 4 and 8 of the portions 3 and 5 of the handle elements I and 2.

The operation of an over-running clutch is well known and therefore need not be described in detail herein, it being sufficient for the purpose of'this disclosure to say that when the handle elements are moved toward each other the rollers-8| of the clutch mechanisms?! and 28 are forced toward the portions of the spaces 32 which are of reduced width with the result that binding action takes place between the rollers 3| and the faces 28 and the walls of the openings 4 and 8 whereby rotary movement is imparted to the shafts II and I2. Likewise, when the handle elements are moved away from each other, the rollers of the clutch mechanisms are moved toward the portions of the spaces 32 which are of greater width, hence, no binding action takes place and the portions 3 and 5 of the handle elements I and 2 rotate relative to the shafts II and I2 without imparting rotary movement thereto. Reference numeral 83 designates resilient elements disposed between the rollers 8| and'adjacent faces 38. In the present example such elements comprise blocks of felt which, in addition to their function of maintaining the rollers 8| in proper operating position, serve to carry lubricant for the clutch mechanism.

It will be noted that the rollers II of the clutch 7 mechanisms are maintained in place by the arms aoaaest prevented from moving longitudinally of the pot-- tions 8 and 5 of the handle elements because the portions of the shafts which provide parts of the clutch mechanisms are of greater dimensions than the shaft-supporting openings formed through the arms I3 and I4.

It will be noted that the pressure rollers are provided with annular depressions or grooves, the grooves formed in rollers I5 and I1 being of depth and lateral curvature which make the said rollers suitable for operation on a particular size of sleeve connector. The grooves formed in rollers I6 and I8 are preferably of depth and curvature differing from that of the grooves formed in rollers I5 and II. Accordingly, the tool is adapted for use without alteration on connector sleeves of a plurality of different sizes.

Considering the paired rollers I8 and I8, it has been previously mentioned that-the roller I8 may be displaced laterally, along the extended portion of its shaft II so as to be out of alinement with its companion roller I8, which condition of the rollers is illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. when so displaced a wire may be positioned against the grooved surface of the roller I8 and the roller may then move back into alinement with roller I8, bringing the wire into position between the rollers. The described construction, permitting of lateral displacement of one of the rollers, facilitates application of the tool to a wire prior to its connection with a second wire, and further, enables the tool to be readily removed from the wire after the connection has been effected.

Describing now the operation of the improved tool disclosed herein, with particular reference to its use in connecting the ends of wires designated Wu and Wb by means of a conventional connector sleeve S, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the wire ends are inserted in the opposite ends of the sleeve, and the tool is applied to the assembly in the manner outlined in the preceding paragraph. With the tapered forward end of the sleeve contacting the rollers at their grooved surfaces, the handles I and 2 are reciprocated toward and away from each other. With each stroke of the handles which bring them together the pressure rollers are rotated in relatively opposite directions, causing the sleeve and its contained wires to be advanced through the opening formed by the complementary disposed roller grooves. Since this opening is smaller in diameterthan that of the sleeve, the sleeve will be subjected to a strong compressive force causing it to become constricted into tight gripping engagement with the wires. Movement ofthe handles apart for-a subsequent operating stroke produces no movement of the pressure rollers since the clutching mechanisms are effective operatively to connect the handles and shafts only when the handles are stroked one toward the other. It will thus appear that reciprocating, rocking movement of the handles produces intermittent, unidirectional movement of the sleeve assembly.

As already stated herein, the groups of meshing gear teeth I and 8 on the portions 3 and l of the handle elements cause the handle elements to move in uniformity with each other.

While I have illustrated and described pairs of cooperating pressure rollers at opposite sides of the device, it is obvious that if desired the device may include only'a single pair of cooperating pressure rollers. The particular device illustrated and described herein is provided with two pairs of cooperating pressure rollers solely for convenience in operating on elongated bodies and sleeves of different diameters.

I claim:

1. A device of the class described comprising a pair of pressure rollers, shafts on which said pressure rollers are mounted for rotary movement therewith, hand-operated means comprising a pair of handle elements for actuating said pressure rollers, and means for transmitting intermittent rotary movement independently to both of said pressure rollers from said handle elements of the hand-operated means.

2. A device of the class described comprising a pair of pressure rollers, shafts on which said pressure rollers are mounted for rotary movement therewith, hand-operated means comprising a pair of handle elements for actuating said pressure rollers, and clutch means associated with both of said shafts for transmitting intermittent rotary movement independently to both of said shafts from said hand-operated means.

3. A device of the class described comprising a pair of pressure rollers, shafts on which said pres sure rollers are mounted for rotation therewith, means for supporting said shafts for rotary movement, handle elements adapted for hand operation, means for transmitting intermittent rotary movement to said shafts from said handle elements, and means associated with one of said pressure rollers whereby said pressure roller may be shifted laterally relative to the other pressure roller.

4. A device of the class described comprising a pair of pressure rollers, shafts on which said pressure rollers are mounted for rotation therewith, means associated with one of said shafts whereby the pressure roller supported thereby may be shifted longitudinally of said shaft, and relative to the other pressure roller, means for supporting said shafts for rotary movement, handle elements adapted for hand operation and means for transmitting intermittent rotary movement from said handle elements to said shafts.

5. A device of the class described comprising a pair of pressure rollers, shafts on which said pressure rollers are mounted for rotary movement therewith, means for supporting said shafts for rotary movement, handle elements adapted for hand operation, means for transmitting intermittent rotary movement independently to both of said shafts from said handle elements, and guiding means for guiding work passing between said pressure rollers.

6. A device of the class described comprising a pair of pressure rollers, shafts on which said pressure rollers are mounted for rotary movement therewith, means for supporting said shafts for rotary movement, handle elements adapted for 'hand operation, means for transmitting intermittent rotary movement independently to both of said shafts from said handle elements, and guiding means supported by said supporting means for guiding work passing between said pressure rollers.

7. A device of the class described comprising a pair of pressure rollers, shafts on which said pressure rollers are mounted for rotary movement therewith, means for supporting said shafts for rotary movement, handle elements adapted for hand operation, engaging means associated with said handle elements whereby uniformity of movement thereof is obtained, and means for transmitting intermittent rotary movement to said shafts from said handle elements.

8. A device of the class described comprising a pair of pressure rollers, shafts on which said pressure rollers are mounted for rotary movement therewith, means for supporting said shafts for rotary movement, handle elements adapted for hand operation, cooperating means comprising meshing teeth associated with said handle elements whereby uniformity of movement thereof is obtained, and means for transmitting intermittent rotary movement to said shafts from said handle elements.

9. A device of the class described comprising a pair of shafts, means for supporting said shafts for rotary movement, pairs of pressure rollers supported by said shafts for rotation therewith at opposite sides of said supporting means, handle elements adapted for hand operation, and means for transmitting intermittent rotary movement independently to both of said shafts from said handle elements.

10. A device of the class described comprising a pair of shafts, means for supporting said shafts for rotary movemenhpairs of pressure rollers supported bysaid shafts for rotation therewith at opposite sidesj'pf said supporting means, a

pair of guiding means supported by said supporting means for guiding work passing between said pairs of pressure rollers, handle elements adapted for hand operation, and means for transmitting rotary movement independently to both of said shafts from said handle elements. I

ELLIS w. coorna. 

